The title image is not Saint-14 if you couldn't tell. It's a Titan with Trials gear on.
Mantle.
The woman holding Lisbon by the mouth drags him into a manhole and brings him down with her. Someone closes the cover above them. The air takes a sudden dampness to it that doesn't play well with Lisbon's sensors. He tries to wrestle free, but she's holding quite strong.
"Hey, hey, calm down, we're only here to help!" The woman says. "As I said, I'm Robyn Hill. I'm running for a spot in the council and my group and I are trying to help the people of Mantle." She lets him go.
Lisbon takes a step to create distance and turns to the woman behind him. Her piercing, perceptive violet eyes look like they can tear through any lies he could come up with.
"I'm not from Mantle, I-I don't even know who I belong to!" Lisbon says, making his own pink eyes glow brighter.
Robyn steps back, gasping and looking somewhat aghast. "You're not-"
"I'm not human, I know!" Lisbon says, pulling off his cloak and putting his palms in front of him. "Before you ask, I'm not Atlas-built, I just work for, well, with them!"
Robyn bites her knuckle and grumbles into it before outreaching her other hand, this one gloved tightly except for her index finger. "You're not like the other Atlas bots. Even more human than Penny." She rubs her chin. "Grab my hand."
"Wha-why!?"
Something stomps above.
"Look, the longer we stay here, the more chances that thing has of finding us, so just grab my hand! I promise, it won't be long."
Lisbon grips her palm and stares at her intently. "Alright…now what?" Both their appendages are then coated by a pale lilac glow.
"Were you made in, or by Atlas?" Robyn asks.
"Neither! I just said this-" Lisbon looks down to see his hand glowing green. "Oh, I see, so that's like a…lie detector? In your...hand."
A blindfold wraps around Lisbon's photoreceptors. Someone pulls his arms and ties them behind his back.
"What the—where are you taking me!?" Lisbon struggles against the unknown person's grip. "Did I do something wrong!?"
"Will you calm yourself? This is just a precautionary measure." Robyn says, sighing in clear annoyance afterward. "I just want to know what the heck is going on in there and why districts are suddenly being evacuated like it's a routine every twelve hours." The person leads Lisbon through a series of long walks and turns that can confuse even the most astute Hunters. After a period of time that felt quite short, Lisbon is stopped, and a positive beep sounds, then the whir of a sliding door.
He is dragged in and the door slams shut behind him. The ground shakes and little pieces of dirt land on the Hunter's alloy head. The piece of black cloth on his photoreceptors loosen and are pulled away, allowing him to see.
Lisbon snaps his head side-to-side, assessing his surroundings. The room is illuminated by the light-blue glow of small monitors that litter the walls in a disorganized frenzy. People run to-and-fro with stacks of paper that occasionally have pages slipping to the floor and getting lost underneath all the chaos this place is. There is a grid of tables where some important looking folks are discussing something around a holographic map, while others seem to be enjoying some time off with a drink or a plate of steaming food. One wall is completely taken over by a poster with a single message hastily written sixteen times:
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
Lisbon counts the number once, then twice to make sure his original number was correct.
"Take a seat," Robyn says, more as an order and not a simple suggestion. The sudden directness snaps Lisbon out of his trance. She nods towards a wooden chair that has one leg slanted outwards, making the entire thing uneven.
Lisbon sits down, making sure not to come down too hard in case he would break his seat. He winces as it creaks but relaxes when it doesn't break, only flexing slightly under his weight. He scoots himself closer to a table where Robyn is standing on the opposite side, her arms crossed and two other people at her sides armed with some sort of mixture of a crossbow and a staff. One being a short white woman that has white messy hair, two cow ears protruding from where ears would normally be and an olive green coat. The other is a tanned, masculine-looking woman with green, partially spiked hair and wearing a cocoa brown coat.
"I know that you're being kept on a tight leash but this situation has given us a prime opportunity to hear the truth. We don't have much time, so we need some information, now." Robyn leans forward, applying pressure on the table and getting slightly too close to Lisbon for comfort. "We have two minutes before they start pinging you and maybe another three before they send a response team, or even worse, the Ace Ops. Ugh."
"Alright, lady! I'll talk. Do you want to know about this entire thing? Well let's talk about how it started," Lisbon says, crossing his arms and squinting at Robyn, scanning her and picking out the folded crossbow on her left arm. "It was probably a story about some unidentified object that struck an Atlas military site, right? Well, it was me. I did it."
Robyn peers back at Lisbon, eyes narrowing in vigilance. "I want to know about what this thing is."
"It's some sort of nanotechnology that knows how to self-replicate and only knows to self-replicate. It's not organic and takes over anything it can get its hands on. Computer, organic, it doesn't matter."
"Grab my hand again." Robyn reaches out her left arm again. Lisbon grabs it and holds tightly. "Is this disease of natural cause?"
"No, it's not. It comes from a company known as Clovis Bray that I guarantee you will not find any info about." The lilac hue appears on both of them again.
They hold for a second and a green hue covers both of their arms. "You're telling the truth, or at least your version of it." She lets go.
"Anyways, I was supposed to work with Penny to collect samples of this. I'm telling your right now, Atlas isn't prepared to fight this, nor will anyone be if it goes on for too long," Lisbon says gravely, and stands up. "What I'm saying is: Brace yourself, prepare for the worst and invest in anti-electronic weaponry." He turns and heads for what seems to be the nearest entrance. He stops, then snaps his fingers in the air. "I'll keep in touch. I'm due to be arrested in a month or so, I hope you'll help me find a way out?"
"I'll see what I can do, Happy Huntresses, make sure he gets out of here alive!"
. . .
Lisbon manages to lose these "Happy Huntresses" and climbs out of the sewer that Robyn Hill and her group had set herself up in.
His radar flares with enemy signatures all around him.
"Get ready…Aksis is near…we're not fighting him, right?" Ghost says, worry weaved in his voice.
"Lisbon, there you are! I've been trying to locate you for the last few minutes! Are you in trouble?" Penny's indubitably cheerful voice makes its way into his earpiece. "Do you need help? Hold your position, I am on fast-" Her voice is lost to static.
Multiple legs stab the ground further down the road.
"Penny? Don't come for me, the big thing's hot on my tail!" The lights surrounding turn red. A siren starts blaring.
Lisbon turns as a shadow casts over him.
The remains of Fallen Archon Prime Aksis, taken over by SIVA that transformed what little organic matter was left in its body into pyramidical constructs, stares back at Lisbon. It stays still before roaring in the air, similar to a regular Fallen, but with an eerie, simulated feel to it. Like a computer is trying to recreate an Eliksni battle cry but can't remove the audio artifacts and glitches.
Fallen Splicers surround him, except they aren't Fallen anymore, but horrifying amalgamations of extraterrestrial flesh and deadly machine.
Lisbon's legs don't move. They're frozen in place.
"We are LEAVING!" Ghost yells.
Lisbon raises one arm and summons a Golden Gun, burning with Light condensed into six molten-hot bullets. He moves at lightning speed as his finger pulls the smooth trigger of his creation while fanning the hammer with his other hand. Bodies melt away and mites of SIVA burst from them, swarming above the flaming husks in a chaotic mess, like a dust cloud but much deadlier. Lisbon holds his breath and closes his eyes as he runs between the mites.
They gravitate towards him like flies over a rotting corpse, eventually taking over his entire torso section and trying to form together to tear him from the inside.
A powerful feeling surges through his wiring. He stops running and turns.
"You're going to have to get rid of that SIVA empowerment before it corrupts you!" Ghost says. "Aksis' spine! Find a way to break his barrier and you can push it inside him!"
Lisbon nods and he uses his Light to control the SIVA empowering him, channeling them into a red vein-like structure that wraps around his right arm. It pulsates, the little nanites inside trying to escape its freshly created prison as they multiply by the second.
Lisbon channels his breathing, exerting his newfound control over the machines by forcing them to stay still for a few moments. He shuts his eyes, and balls his SIVA-infused fist, struggling to keep it in check. His entire body glows sky-blue and Arc energy weaves with the SIVA, forcing the nanites to obey its will. Small sparks of red flash from his arm and he charges straight at his enemy. He slides, summons an Arc Staff and forces one end of it through the floor and swings it up, creating a line of blue that rises and strikes Aksis' underside. It hits true and stuns the mechanized beast for a second, making the façade of a Fallen's upper body slump forward, revealing a glowing white crack down its spine. Lisbon jumps, lands on its back and winds up his empowered arm. It takes a moment to charge, the red crackles growing more sporadic and harder to contain. When Lisbon feels it ready, he throws his arm forward, letting his fist punch through dense wiring that's long replaced the Eliksni flesh inside and transferring the SIVA Empowerment.
Aksis screeches and throws his body straight, raising his arms to call forth more SIVA that's found itself in the surrounding buildings, reconstructing the lost vitality.
"Now's your time, GO!"
/
Argus. Present Day.
"Huh, looks like everyone's out," Oscar says, opening the door and peering inside. He looks to Lisbon, who shrugs and walks inside. "Wonder what they're all doing."
"Don't know, but maybe it'll give 'em all some time to think about a few hours ago," Lisbon says. "Maybe you can do something nice for them."
"Yeah, maybe I should." Oscar steps inside and glances at the kitchen at his left.
The boy's new gear is a mix of his original design plus a few suggestions from Lisbon that brought the aesthetic into a combination of medieval traveler and Guardian. The olive coat remains, but now magnetic locking capabilities have been added to the back, allowing Oscar to stash his cane there. The patterned wrist straps have been replaced with a thin weave of Kevlar and what the shopkeeper dubbed as "flexible armor plating" that supposedly has the same defensive capability as regular plates. The trousers have remained but Lisbon had modified them to fit a small pistol and a scabbard with a hunting knife at the side of one calf. The bandages were replaced with a white bandanna that glows very slightly.
"Thanks for paying for all of this, by the way. It feels a lot better to walk around in than my old clothes." Oscar scratches the back of his head, chuckling nervously. "I swear I did some things I didn't think I could do at the testing range."
"Shopkeeper nearly blew his bald scalp out of his head looking at you mow through those bots," Lisbon cackles and pats the boy on the back.
"That was pretty cool," Oscar says. "Is there dinner? It's getting late and I don't see anything in the kitchen."
"Hey, you do you kid, but should someone as young as you be around an oven?" Lisbon asks, halfway up the stairs. "Actually, I shouldn't worry about it. Just be sure to warn me if you set something on fire, okay?"
"Uh, alright."
/
"Saint, do you know of a woman with antlers?" Osiris asks, furrowing his brows at the antlered woman in front of him. She came up to him earlier asking very specifically about a Saint-14, which was quite odd because the Titan hadn't told him about knowing anyone outside of the group of young adult warriors they are traveling with.
"Oh, is her name Anna? I know her, is she here in Argus?" Saint bellows into his radio, making Osiris wince. He would have to teach the Exo to lower his voice some time.
"Is your name Anna?" Osiris asks, keeping his feed open so Saint can listen in.
"Yeah, yeah it is. I used to be a weaponsmith for the White Fang, he disarmed me and watched me burn their camp," the woman says. One of her hands is suspiciously close to her waist and from further inspection, it's hovering over a revolver.
"Oh, Anna! How are you? It's been some time since we last spoke!" Saint exclaims. "Osiris, pass the line over to her!"
"Passing on…now," Osiris nods to Anna, who takes out her Scroll device and puts it to her ear. A second later she flinches and nearly falls backwards into a bush.
"Is he normally this loud!?" She pulls the Scroll away from her face and holds her hand above the screen, staring bewilderedly at Osiris. The Warlock slowly nods. "I swear he was quieter in Kuo Kuana."
Osiris shrugs. "Is there anything of importance you wish to tell? I work very closely with Saint-Fourteen."
Anna hesitates. "I'm with a group that's fighting for rights for the city of Mantle, which is just under Atlas. I'm needed in Mantle to help fight some sort of...computer disease, and from what I remember it's programmed to…consume, something, then replicate."
Osiris drops any jovialness he had beforehand. He fixes a stare at Anna. "Consume…enhance, replicate?" He says.
Anna snaps her fingers and her face lights up with a realization. "Yeah, that's it! I think it's also called…SI…VA?"
"SIVA, there is a SIVA outbreak in Mantle?" Osiris pauses. "I see, and from what I'm gathering…you have a history with Saint?"
Anna nods. "Yeah, and now that he's showed up…I think he should be the one to take my spot. He was extremely popular in Kuo Kuana, and I'm kind of surprised he hasn't garnered anything like that here in Argus."
"We've just arrived yesterday, to be fair," Osiris mumbles. "Tell me more about this outbreak in Mantle."
Anna blows a drawn-out breath and shakes her head. "Can't say much. All I can tell is that it's more like a living thing instead of a virus."
"I see, how long has this outbreak gone on for?" Osiris asks. "A week? Maybe two?"
"A few months, actually."
Osiris blinks a few times, registering what was just said. "A few…months?" He says, alarm growing inside his mind.
"Yeah, I heard it's under control-"
"We have to get someone over there now. I mean no offense but you are not at all fit to deal with the situation. No one other than a select few is." Osiris pings Saint to come over to his position.
"In comparison, that's right. You sure Saint knows how to deal with it?"
"I am sure."
"I heard everything, Osiris. SIVA? It must be serious. I am almost at your location," Saint says. The Titan screeches to a halt behind Anna, who hops in surprise and turns to him.
"Oh, Saint! You're here!"
"Yes, I am, but the time to speak isn't now. We must go, Anna, you said you had someone who could take me to Atlas? Your line was still open, by the way." Saint's Perfect Paradox appears over his back.
"Oh! Uh, sure, let's go!" Anna sprints the direction Saint comes from, and he follows her.
"I will let the others know," Osiris calls out, watching them disappear behind a building after turning a corner.
"So, how are you going to tell this to them?" Sagira asks. Osiris shrugs.
"I will tell them the truth. If they believe me is up to them."
. . .
Osiris opens the door to the house, intent on walking inside but stopping when his way is blocked by the entirety of teams RWBY and JNPR.
"—That's not just breaking the law, that's…that's definitely worse," Weiss says, her tone unbelieving and surprised.
"How would we even get on the airfield?" Yang asks.
"That part I haven't figured out yet, but-" Jaune is somewhat sheepish and is interrupted by an angry and drunk-sounding Qrow.
"Okay—just stop, just stop!" The drunkard sighs and grips the handrails of the stairs tighter. "Look, if this thing goes south it's not something that we can just fight our way out of. This is the Atlas military we're talking about!" He leans forward, glaring at Jaune before shaking his head dismissively. "For your sake, just drop this."
A quick pause. Osiris thinks; from what he's gathered, the proposed plan was to steal an airship from the Atlas military base that's extended into the sea.
Sagira speaks up. "Osiris and I have a similar plan, but it won't involve breaking into the base, but it will step on Atlas' toes and piss them off if we don't do it right."
"What do you know, you're just-"
"I want to hear her out," Ruby says.
"Ruby…"
"I want to hear her out!" She steps towards Qrow. "You might not have an idea but they've been helping the entire way! So, let's just listen to what she has to say and maybe we can work something out!"
Silence.
"Thank you, Ruby," Sagira chirps. "It'll be long, so make yourselves comfy."
. . .
"Now, I don't have an entire plan just yet, but I do know that there is a communications tower nearby that controls both the Atlas radar for friendly incoming-and-outgoing vehicles and Grimm detection. If we can get a person up there, we could disable the Atlas radar, allowing us to sneak by in a ship undetected." Sagira simulates an entire holographic plan of the military base and the surrounding areas. A red spike in a forested area indicates the radar tower. "Now, you've probably noticed that Saint isn't here. He's being smuggled to help fight a threat in Mantle, which is under Atlas if I'm reading things right."
"Saint's gone?" Blake says. "Why didn't he say something?"
"We met an old contact of his, and she gave her spot up to him." Osiris swipes in the air and a 3D reconstruction of Anna's head appears. Blake looks ready to object. "From what I hear, he helped her out of a group known as the White Fang." She backs down.
"Sagira still has contact with him. Conveniently, he leaves tomorrow, which I assume is when we are going to move, too." Osiris swipes back to the map, and a model of the ship Saint is taking appears. "He can turn it around, and if everything goes to plan, we would be able to board and soar to Atlas without any issues. Or Mantle, depending on which comes first."
"Why can't we just disable the tower remotely?" Weiss asks. "That would save the risk of being caught by a guard."
Terracotta sighs. "I can't believe I'm going to say this," she mumbles. Everyone turns to her. "I work with Atlas communications, and if the tower is disabled remotely, both systems will go down. It would put Argus in danger."
"Exactly," Sagira pipes up. "We need someone that knows Atlas security protocols and someone, or something that can work their magic quickly." The pointy bits of her shell pop out for a second and then return to their original spots as if emulating someone raising their eyebrows.
"I can go," Blake says.
"I'll go with her," Lisbon says from the stairway. "I got my Ghost with me. Osiris is more important around everyone else."
"Then that is settled. I will contact Saint, and let him know." Osiris nods approvingly at Lisbon.
Everyone stays silent.
"What if Cordovin notices?" Jaune asks.
"In the chances of an encounter with the Atlas military, we have two scapegoats."
"Oh, great." Lisbon rolls his eyes. "It's me. I'm the scapegoat. Atlas has a bounty for my arrest."
"Saint does, too," Osiris says. "According to him, 'interfering with top-secret Atlas property' and 'attempted murder of high-level personnel.'"
"That's bad," Weiss says. "That's grounds for…I don't even know what! They'll be thrown in the darkest jail in Mantle while we get arrested for helping them!"
"Again, that is an alternative if our original plan doesn't work out."
"Shouldn't we be trying to avoid any risks like that?" Weiss asks.
"Yes, we should, but this is the only reasonable plan Sagira and I could conceive on the way home, and as you can tell, time is not on our side. Unless if someone has a better alternative, this is what we have to work with."
The white-haired girl mumbles to herself for a second.
"Whatever, I need some sleep," Qrow grumbles, standing up. "You wackos work this plan out, just tell me what to do tomorrow…"
"Of course, Qrow."
Osiris waits for a door to slam and sighs once he hears one. "He's deteriorated."
I got a VALORANT key. I've been thinking about a crossover with Viper as a terrorist in Atlas, fighting for Mantle. Political intrigue as she clashes with RWBY's characters.